Improvement in the construction of concrete arches for buildings



Y o. @BENNETT y COIISTRUGLION 0F CONCRETE ARGHES FOR BUILDINGS,

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tnited mes,

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CHARLES CCLTON DENNETT, CF NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND.

Letters .Patent` No. 9 8,571, dated January 4, 1870; patented in England, Augast 13, 1863.

IMPROVEMENT v IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF CQNCRETE ARCHAES FOR 1BUZ'IIIZIIDIIil'G-S,v 8.

The Schedule referred co in these Letters Patent and making part ofthe same.

To all whom it may conce-rn:

Be it known that I, Guantes CoL'roN BENNETT, of Nottingham, in the county of Nottingham, England, builder, have invented an Improved Construction of Concrete Arches for Buildings and other structures; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the said invention, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of drawings, and to the gures and letters marked thereon; that is to say- My invention consists in the application to buildings, of arches formed of conc-rete, composed of sulphate or carbonate of lime, together with broken c'alcined cinders, bricks, or other similar suitable materials, such arches being employed without any additional support, such as has been used heretofore with ordinary concrete arches.

The concrete produced by the above materials, possessing great strength, and being capable of resisting,

eiectually, the action of extreme heat, such concrete arches may be employed for floors, ceilings, shelves,

benches, Snc., either in cottages, churches, musicl halls, or-large public buildings, as well as private houses, mills, warehouses, factories, malt-rooms, or any other kind of building; and they will be found to be ot' the greatest use in forming lire-proof ceilings, either plain or ornament-:thas they can be tn rned ,in any shape of groin, dome-circle, or wagon-head, and to any lengt-h, width, or height, formed with raised or sunk panels, at pleasure, or left smooth for painting and decorating. f i

They 'are also adaptable for tloors ol mills, warehouses, factories, `malt-rooms, or any other kind'of building, and can either be finished, as for cottages, with polished face, or left rough, and Iinished with brick, tile, wood, or stone tloorslaid on same, the under side 'being finished cit-her in an arched shape, or as aat ceiling.

This material may also be used with economy in forming dormer or lantern-lights, as it can be used for the sides as well as top, and has the advantage of being iu one solid piece; and for any sort of skew l or arches over recesses, this invention will be found to be applied more readily than brick arches, and quite equal in strength.

F or veutilating-purposes, these arches are particularly adapted, as either pipes can be inserted, or lines formed in the material in any direction. Also as a cheap, sound-prooi` construction, either for oors or partitions, this material can be used with great advantage.

0n the accompanying sheet of drawings are shown some of the various modes in which my improved concrete arches may be applied.

The arch-form is that which is usually adopted for the construction of floors, as shownat A, tig. l, the spandrels of same being however, in som a Veases, lled in with the material, so as to form a horizontal floor, (A, Figure l.) v

These arches, when thoroughly set, exert no thrust upon the outer walls, and, in fact, from their slight rise and thoroughly homogeneous character, they possess as much the nature of a beam, or landing, as that of an arch. For this reason, their use is, in many cases, advantageous where that of brick arches would be altogether inadmissible.

The arches are' supported, at the points where they abut upon the walls B, by projecting courses of brickwork, B', and at intermediate point-s by rolled iron joints, or riveted girders, C. They have a minimum rise in the sotlits, of one inch -to every foot of width, and they are tnrnedin this proportion up to spans ot' ten or twelve feet.

Corridors and cotta,fg;ei3oors` are formed in this manner, without the introduction of any joist or beam whatever, as shown atl), Figure 2.

The sollits of `the arches, after removal of the centres, simply require tobe finished with the last, or setting-coat of ordinary plasterinfr, In cellars, and other basement-offices, noother coat whatever is necessary.

there a wooditiooris' indispensable, the boards are laid upon light sleeper-joist's, as shown at E, Figure 3,

or stoneor tile paving may be applied, as at G, Figure 4. 1f a fiat yceiling is required, ceiling-joists are fixed to the lower `flanges ofthe iron girders, and lathed and plastered in the ordinary manner, as at Figure 5. Itis generally preferred, however, in buildings of' a public character, suchas banks, ofi'ices, Svc., to leave exposed the lower ilanges of the iron girders. This is the most constructional mode of treatment; and by the judicious application of colored decoration, a veryl f effective ceiling is obtained.

Figure 6 shows the application of the invention to theftormiug of an arched or vaulted ceiling, H, 'with groins, H', at the windows.

The formation of vaults or domes, .particularly those'ot' au ornamental character, is one of the most advantageous applications of the concrete. As no expense is involved in the cutting of groins, cofferribs, &c.,'it is in itself less costly than brick or stone., besides saving considerable expense in the strength of the buter walls, which would be necessary to withstand the lateral/ thrust of ordinary vaullting.A It is,

moreover, better adapted for decorative treatment,` either in color or relief.

My invention derives much of 'its utility from the fact that by itlam enabled to utilize such materials as those described, which, resulting from the destruction ofh buildings, or surplus, or wastage in manufacture, have heretofore been thrown away as of little or no value. By mixing them, as described, with phosphate or carbonate of lime, I utilize a large amount of otherwise Waste material.

Having thus described the nature of my invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed,

What I claim, and desire to be secured to me by Letters Patent, is-

Constructing sellsupporting arches, for buildings and other structures, of concrete, composed of sulphate or carbonate of lime, together with broken bricks, ealoined oinder, or other similar suitable meterial, substantially asset forth. l

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this speciloation, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 16th day of August, 1869.

CHARLES COLTON BENNETT. Witnesses:l

H. KREISMANN, J AMES A. MCMURTRIE. 

